A Whistling Girl

It's the 1950s, and in Southern Rhodesia, rebellious Nicole (Nick) Doughty grows up against the backdrop of a rapidly-changing world––the crowning of Queen Elizabeth II, Dwight Eisenhower's presidential bid in the U.S., and the end of the Korean War. And while these events will go on to shape the history of the mid-20th century, closer to home, Nick must deal with the pains of growing up, family relationships, and biases of race, gender, and sexual preference. It all begins when Nick secretly watches a bicycle thief flogged at the local Police Station. The thief catches sight of her and Nick senses he has put a curse on her. She buries some teeth at the base of the Hissing Tree to grow a warrior for protection. When she witnesses the gauzy spectre unfurl, she's convinced the warrior has come to help. But the ghostly fighter has a big job on its hands . . .As a member of the Black Mamba gang, Nick is at odds with its leader, Jannie, whose jealousy of her culminates in a "test of courage" to take place the following night in the cemetery. The night before the test, Nick listens to the BBC World Service on the radio: the journalist Sarah Bridgeworthy has gone missing en route to cover the Mau Mau in Kenya. Nick determines to find out what happened to her. . . What follows is a twisting path of superstition, mystery, danger and even death as Nick comes to terms with her family, herself and the world around her. This intense, exuberant story with stay with readers long after the final page is turned.